Why Are You Paying to Heat Your Airing Cupboard?

Airing cupboards have been around for quite some time, and they are an integral part of many homes because of their many uses. However, it is a fact that air does not heat itself and that in order for airing cupboards to be warm, a hot-water tank has to be inside, and if it is losing enough heat to warm your airing cupboard then it needs more insulation. This escaping heat is costing you money.

Traditional Airing Cupboard Heat Source

Traditionally speaking, airing cupboards hold the heated water tanks which provide hot water throughout the house for many purposes.

There are considerable costs with this option as a lot of people have found out, since the loss of energy from hot-water cylinders in homes can be substantial, particularly with older models. Heating water takes a great amount of oil, gas or electricity after all, and if the water is not used immediately or is allowed to lose its warmth, then that is simply wasted energy.

Purposes of Airing Cupboard

The airing cupboard used to be used to air clothes. The concept predates central heating and this was the only place in the house that was warm. If you have a hot water cylinder then it makes sense for any escaping heat to be used inside the house. Our grandparents would place almost dry clothes near the heated water tank until they were totally dry. In those days the hot-water was mostly heated by a back boiler on a coal fire and energy was so cheap you could throw it up the chimney.

Talking About Lagging

In order to save energy with hot-water cylinders, a very good choice would be to use lagging jackets which will coat the tank and thus insulate it for better heat retention. By lagging your hot water cylinder, you can save a tremendous amount of money very quickly.

If the hot-water cylinder has been around for quite some time, there might be a need for more lagging options since the machine would have already worn out much of its body through years of corrosion. If replacing it altogether is not an option at the current time due to one reason or another then you need to buy a few lagging jackets straight away. Fill the space around the tank with insulating material. The idea is to minimize air movement around the tank.

You can also store spare duvets, pillows and blankets around your heated water cylinder. They will stay bone dry and never smell of damp or mildew.

Alternative to Hot Water Cylinders

Although hot-water cylinders have been the norm for hot water systems for a long time, they can still cost more money than some people are willing to spend, even with the option of lagging already in place. Keeping water inside a tank and keeping it hot just presents too many problems, with the size of the tank being the least of them.

If you want another option, instant hot-water systems offer a great alternative to storing or water tanks can be a good one since it will not cost as much energy. The water will only be heated if there is a need for it since the combi boiler used can sense if a faucet, a shower, or washing machine is turned on. The boiler comes on immediately and within seconds you have hot water of your chosen temperature.

If you replace your boiler and hot-water tank with a boiler that provides instant hot water you will also be pleasantly surprised by the small size of these combi boilers, so you get your old boiler space back to use as a cupboard. You also get a new storage space where your hot-water tank used to be.